Bloomingdale man sentenced for 'horrendous' crimes against seniors

Dixon, a 39-year-old handyman, was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences for guilty pleas to the murder and armed robbery of Etta Geneva Dickey, 82, at her Talahi Island home Nov. 30, 2005.

Dixon also pleaded guilty to aggravated assault with a frying pan against Evelyn Page, 77, on the same date.

Page, who was Dixon's wife's grandmother, and Dickey were both living alone.

Dixon, formerly of Bloomingdale, also was charged with elder abuse against each victim.

Karpf, a Chatham County Superior Court judge since 1993, expressed outrage at the brutality of the crimes.

"I consider myself someone who isn't shocked easily," Karpf said.

He called Dixon's actions "unbelievably shocking, horrendous."

The two life terms should keep Dixon in the "most maximum prison we have for the rest of his life."

"I cannot imagine the state Board of Pardons and Paroles would ever consider this man for parole," Karpf said, saying it would be a "travesty" if they do.

Karpf had to fill in at the last minute for fellow judge Louisa Abbot who earlier had approved the negotiated plea/sentence, but was unavailable Monday to hear the plea.

Kim Patton-Johnson, the parole board's public information officer, said by law, Dixon will be eligible for a review after serving 20 years.

"But that does not mean he will be paroled," she said. "With the board's current trend, it's highly unlikely he will be paroled at his first consideration."

Assistant District Attorney Meg Heap outlined the circumstances contained in the 16-count indictment and negotiated sentences for each.

When she was finished, Karpf asked the defendant, "Did you do everything the state alleged you did in the indictment?"

"Yes sir," responded the defendant, dressed in a green Chatham County jail uniform, his arms and legs shackled.

His lawyer, Richard Darden, stood beside him.

Before he took his turn, Karpf listened as Trina Swofford, Dickey's daughter, read her victim impact statement for the family.

"She was defenseless and alone," Swofford read from her statement. "It grieves me to know the fear she must have felt and the pain she must have suffered.

"I still cannot comprehend the horror of it all. What kind of monster would cause such heartache, to both of us and his family as well?

"Have I forgiven him? I am a Christian and this is one of the basic teachings of my faith." Swofford said. "However I do believe in securing justice for our mother and believe William Dixon should pay the consequences of his horrendous acts."

Police and prosecutors said Dixon earlier had done some repair work at Dickey's home, then returned and asked to use her telephone to call his wife.

After using the bathroom, he proceeded to strike the victim four times with a brick, and took her wallet, which contained $120.

Dixon had completed work on Dickey's dock several weeks before the attack and returned to get money for drugs, Swofford said in her victim impact statement.

The indictment charged Dixon with possession of cocaine "on or about Nov. 30, 2005."

Dickey was found bleeding and semi-conscious two days later in the living room of her home.

She was taken to Memorial Health University Medical Center where she slipped into a coma.

She died seven days later.

Bloomingdale police arrested Dixon on Nov. 30, 2005, in connection with the frying-pan attack on Page and theft of her car.

Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police charged him the same day in the Dickey case.

The 16 charges

William Timothy Dixon pleaded guilty to charges contained in a 16-count indictment and was sentenced to:

Count one: Murder of Etta Geneva Dickey, Nov. 30, 2005; life.

Counts two through four for felony murder in the Dickey slaying, which were merged with a malice murder count.

Count five: Elder abuse of Dickey, "a person over 65 years;" five years, concurrent with the murder sentence.

Count six: Armed robbery of Dickey by use of an offensive weapon, a brick; life in prison to run consecutively with the murder sentence.

Count seven: Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a brick, on Dickey; 20 years, concurrent with the murder term.